What exactly are “kettle chips,” such as those made by Boulder Canyon, our Top Pick Of The Week (see the previous post)?

Let’s start at the beginning.

Potato chips, invented in 1853 in Saratoga, New York, were originally called Saratoga chips (the history of potato chips).

By the 1920s, every town in the U.S. had its own chip maker, or “potato chipper.” The chip maker sliced up potatoes and fried them one batch at a time in a small kettle.

The chips got soggy quickly in the days before vacuum packaging (or even airtight bags), and needed to be purchased fresh (see the history for the invention of the potato chip bag).

The continuous fryer was invented in 1929, creating tremendous economies of scale and driving most of the small, kettle cookers out of business.

By the 1940s, automation had evolved to change much of America’s artisan food production into mass production, including potato chips.

Potato farmers bred the natural sugars out of potatoes to accommodate mass production, because the natural, variable sugar content required individualized attention to know when the batch was done. That can’t happen in mass production.

The result: Brands like Lay’s and Wise, which sell many millions of bags a year, are certainly popular; but their flavor is only a shadow of the former gustatory glory of the potato chip, made in small batches with more flavorful potatoes.

Hence, the resurgence of the artisan chip.

Today’s “kettle chips” are a return to the thicker, small-batch chips made with top ingredients (you can use some of the best brands to construct fancy hors d’oeuvres, as shown in photo #2).

While today’s “kettles” are fryers much larger than the original stovetop kettle, they are still small in comparison to mass-produced chips.

Don’t be afraid to spend more: With many brands, it really is a superior potato.

The right chip is not just a good snacker: It creates sexy hors d’oeuvres. [1] Saratoga Chips, the original branded chip (photo The Nibble). [2] A house-made waffle chip as an hors d’oeuvre garnish (photo courtesy Kettle Brand chips.

If you still don’t have a special Valentine’s Day dessert, you can pick up these ingredients and have something special in 5 minutes.

Kozy Shack’s Chocolate Covered Strawberries all-natural pudding and pie filing is the first in a new line of Limited Edition products from the pudding company. This flavor, available through April 1st, drops large pieces of strawberries into a very satisfying chocolate pudding.

The recipe for the Chocolate-Strawberry Cream Pie is on the package, but we’ve included it below. The pudding is delicious right out of the container and as an ingredient in other desserts.

 
RECIPE: EASY CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY PUDDING PIE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. POUR the pudding the into pie shell and spread evenly.

2. COVER the entire surface of the pie with whipped topping. Place in the freezer for an hour.

4. REMOVE, slice and serve.

Make this pie in 5 minutes with Kozy Shack’s Chocolate Covered Strawberries pudding and pie filling. Photos courtesy Kozy Shack.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the gelatin and cold water in a small pan; let stand until the mixture is thick. Then place the pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin dissolves. Remove from the heat. Let it cool, but do not allow it to set.

2. WHIP the cream with the sugar until slightly thick. While slowly beating, add the gelatin to whipping cream. Whip at high speed until stiff.
 
Visit KozyShack.com for more recipes, and check out the recipe collection in the Desserts & Ice Cream Section of THE NIBBLE webzine.
  

– The Love Potion Cocktail, made with Absolut Raspberry and cranberry juice
– The Right Kiss, gin, ruby Port and maraschino liqueur
– Pomegranate Martini, with vodka, Grand Marnier and pomegranate juice

Find more mixology in the Cocktails & Spirits Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine.

Love Potion Martini, a creation from Ocean Spray.